Genius and The Thousand Faces: A Difficult Adversary
It was a calm and subtle evening. The moonlight twinkled upon the grasses, it took a silver coloration as it reflected the light of the moon. A small ray flickered off fair skin. A young man yawned, it was his mission to stay up and find some man by the name of Gabriel. So, he stood up and began to move. The name of this young man was Richard Buchanan. Richard was a member of the elite SENSHI, a Captain in the Fiore Royal Military, and in simple terms, he was a genius above all geniuses. His long purple hair swayed slightly in the calm winds, as his calm brown eyes looked around his horizons. He wore a sleeveless, black shirt unbuttoned to have freedom of movement, thus revealing a rather muscular figure. Along with this, he wore form-fitting light blue jeans and black, calf-high boots. Finishing the attire off, he wore black, arm-length gloves which were fingerless, and wore a large, beige coat over this which helped him conceal himself. Yet because of this, he had to carry his blade around with him. It was too bad Azuki or Megan weren't here, they would've done something about it. Regardless; he kept moving, looking for this Gabriel person, attempting to finish off his mission as soon as possible. Within a dark small forest with trees covering the skies and hiding the light leaving only small rays of light to hit the ground, a small wooden house that looked simple in design from the inside out only without any windows or a door to open but only a large square hole in the front, a black haired young man sat on a chair peacefully sucking on a lolipop as he silently kept calm listening to the voices of the birds within the forest, The young man was Gabriel who Richard was after, Gabriel wore a black yukata with white line across the front of his chest, a white sash across his waist, a katana next to his chair laying down, Gabriel looked up stretching his arms thinking to himself if something interesting may happen today. Gabriel yawned and decided to stay and keep listening to the birds chirping. Richard saw a rather dense forest; he seemed to use it as a prime location for his investigation. He began to run, and his leaps were very fast, reaching the forest in almost no time. He seemed to have found a small residence, nothing special, in fact...it was almost non-civilized, something Richard desired to have, but couldn't. He calmed himself and walked slowly to the residence, keeping his hand on his blade, he was ready for a confrontation. The residence had no sign of life, though when Richard came closer to the resident he started hearing faint screaming that were incredibly weak, once he entered the house he saw a young woman with long black hair, a red shirt with long sleeves, black jeans with a black belt tied around her waist and finishing with bare feet, the woman had her hands and legs tied by ropes, and her lower face and eyes were covered in bandages as well as her ears making it hard for her to both hear or see anything much less say anything, she also apeared with some bruises on her body as she layed on the floor. Richard was....horrified for a moment. He didn't expect such a horrendous spectacle to be present. However, he calmed himself, before scanning the area. He drew his blade, holding it in a defensive position. He spoke, commanding." Whoever you are! Come out right now! Otherwise this entire place will turn into shambles, you hear me!?" There was complete silence in the house, the woman began to move a little after she had heard Richard's voice despite the bandages around her ears, as she tried to move towards him she was slowly untying the rope on her hands and began to stand up on her feet that were tied. She slowly reached her hand for the bandages on her eyes and removed the bandages from her right eye as she saw Richard and it apeared that she was smiling by how her cheeks were raised at her eye as she said with the bandages on her mouth "Would you like some gum?" The woman's voice sounded similar to that of a man as suddenly hidden spikes apeared from the walls of the sides of Richard and the "woman" and a string wire became visible infront of Richard. Richard merely laughed at this pathetic excuse for a trap. He chanted "Dark Mantle", as suddenly a layer of magical energies surrounded him in a condensed aura, causing all the attacks upon him to be negated in their entirety. Before he immediately slashed onto the ground with both hands, a shockwave formed which caused everything surrounding Richard to be pushed backward slightly. He kept his hands gripped on his blade, and smirked, asking." And you are?" The "woman" loosened her tied feet from the ropes as she glanced at him "I'm guessing you don't want any gum" The "woman" said again with her manly voice as it was revealed she merely used Transformation to disguise herself revealing it was actually Gabriel in disguise. Gabriel looked at Richard with his single grey right eye and smiled grabbing his sheathed blade "Sorry for the rude welcoming, my name is Gabriel and who may you be?" Gabriel sounded calm in his words taking out a lolipop and putting it in his mouth waiting for Richards answer. "Eh, I would probably have some gum, but I'm in a mission. Can't be careless can I?" Richard responded to Gabriel's request, before asking him." So, Gabriel right? You're my target huh? I find you and I have a lot in common. How about we sit and talk hm?" Richard paused, before he finally realized." Oh yeah! My name is Richard Buchanan! Haha." Gabriel took a chair and sat down just as Richard requested but kept his guard by keeping his blade in his hands "I'm not in a mood for trouble so let's talk before getting into any difficulty, pick a chair but since i only have two including this one you'll have to take the one at the corner" Gabriel pointed at the dusty chair on the corner of the house "Sorry for the mess, i never expect any people to come target me so i never have time to clean up". " Haha, I know how you feel." Richard sat down, keeping his sword in hand, and began talking." So anyways, what's made you so infamous throughout the military and such?" Richard asked him, with an unusual lull in his voice. "Infamous? Military? I never thought my actions would stretch that far" Gabriel answered Richard as he tied his eye bandages much tighter to make sure they don't fall "I guess that killing is a crime no matter who the killed is, what are you going to do to me after you capture me? That is if you can" Gabriel asked Richard sounding somewhat sarcastic in his last words. "My, aren't we the confident one? Well, yeah, you did kill someone didn't you? How about you explain to me this entire memory? Might be an interesting story before the entire war that's gonna rage on, don't you think?" Richard asked him, taunting him slightly with his sarcasm. Gabriel grinned at Richard as he pulled out his lolipop and threw it into a trash bin next to the house's door "I don't understand it myself, after i left Sabertooth because of how it once was i didn't have any feelings of regret, but after i read those news on how merely five new members made it rise to the top, i guess it broke something in my brain, made me unstable in some way since i started pulling out my enemies guts open without any kind of regret towards what i did, maybe i did regret leaving Sabertooth after knowing how strong it became, you might class me as a psychopath if you wish but a psychopath kills for no reason, and i just killed all who went to fight me, not more or less" Gabriel finished his sentenced and rested his head on his hand. " Oh my, what a saddening tale this is indeed. Well, in any case. We better move out don't you think? How about....oooh, that big plain over there seems nice. No interruptions there. I'm moving out." Richard flipped off from the chair and leaped towards his targeted area. He seemed to have ulterior motives, though what they were, was only known to Richard. Gabriel stood up from his chair as he walked towards Richard and then passed beside him exiting his house, he turned back to Richard gripping his katana's hilt preparing to draw it "You know it yourself, i am a killer who kills all who try and capture me, and you are no different so if you want me to follow you, you have to beat me half to death first Richie" Gabriel said to Richard as he unsheahed his sword and grabbed it in his right hand pointing it at Richard. With a mere thought, Richard caused the entire area surrounding them to become pitch black. He smirked in this darkness, as he merely told Gabriel." Well, you might be a psychopath, but very few can see in this pitch black darkness. So, try and hurt me now?" Gabriel remained calm and didn't react to Richard's spell "Please, where do you think we are? We're in a dark forest, my dark forest, small rays of light are the only ones to enter through the trees, at night this place is as dark as a bat cave, and since this place is pure nature and not like the towns with all those lights, i get used to the darkness, i may not be able of seeing but i can hear it when you step on a twig and break it, when you hit a rock and it rolls to another, when you hit an animal and it shouts, i have alot of things to help me find you" Gabriel finished his sentence with a sinister tone at the end "So, I'll just wait and listen as i always do" Gabriel held his katan's sheathe in his left hand and his blade in his right, and took a fighting stance while closely waiting for Richard to make a sound "I bet you're trying to not talk, right?" "Pfft, you're rather pathetic you know. You do realize, that this spell is far more advanced than you can truly understand. The tactical advantages that it poses are far more than a simpleton like you can comprehend." Richard began to move, his feet rustled on the ground as he moved north, keeping his sword clutched in hand as he silently cut through trees that lay his way. "More advanced? So that means it has a much weaker version, how interesting, so you pull out an advanced trick at the beginning? Then i gues it would be fair if i used a little advantageous trick myself" Gabriel said as he removed a small part of his bandages covering his left eye, he openned his left eye but it was unseen because of the pitch black area, at that moment the spell suddenly disapeared returning everything back to normal. Gabriel then covered his eye back again "You're spell is cancelled, using my left eye isn't fun nor fair, so i don't think i'll use unless i have to" Gabriel said. "Oh my, you are quite the idiot right?" Richard told him, and even as the darkness shattered, Richard stood apathetic with blade in hand." Come at me, bro. Unless you've already wet your pants because you're as scared as a little kid of his angry mom. Are you now?" Richard's taunts were direct, effective and overall absolutely mischievous, just as he would act with Azuki. Albeit, with a slight tang of murderous intent. Gabriel simply pulled out a piece of gum from his pocket offering it to Richard "You said you wanted gum before after i asked you so it would be rude to just leave that answer hanging in mid air, don't you think so?" Gabriel's voice sounded serious without a mocking tone as it would aper that way through his behavior "If you wish I'll throw it to you if you don't want to get close, that is if you're cautios enough" At that moment Gabriel's voice did sound somewhat mocking towards Richard at the end of his sentence, yet he still had his hand with gum for offer. "Haha, aren't unexpected reactions always the best? Well, I shall take it." Abnormally, Richard's body seemed to shatter like glass, as a reflection would in a mirror. He was already behind Gabriel without any warning, tapping his shoulder, Richard had a look of curiousity on his face and asked him." What are you looking at?" Gabriel turned and looked at Richard who apeared behind him and even though his grin remained he did apear surprised as the look in his eyes was enough to say it "Sneaky little bastard" Gabriel mummbled to himself and turned around to hand Richard the gum he offered him "Just take it so this guilt in my stomach would go away" Gabriel said to Richard. "Guilt....a funny word that is. Well, I must tell you, you'll be guilty that you ever met me, soon enough." Richard took the gum from his hand, and put it in one of his pockets." I'll leave it there for now. Food and battles don't mix well together...trust me on this one." Richard told him comically before asking." So, you have anything else on your sleeve?" "Something else up my sleeve? Well my sleeves aren't big or wide enough to i had to hide the rest of my tricks in this here forest, so for now i have nothing, though i would like to read some news since i don't go out much, so tell me, anything new out there in the outside of this forest world?" Gabriel asked Richard as he put his blade hanging on his shoulder while still holding it. " I'm no fable on general knowledge so I might stuff up a bit, but I've heard about...a war, Fairy Tail coming back and um...oh yeah and some other petty criminals like yourself doing some big things for no reason." Richard sarcastically told that last point with a sneer upon his face, taunting Gabriel further. "Fairy Tail? Coming back you say? The once strongest now weakest and now back, we truly live in a weird world don't we? Well either way, I have no intentions of leaving my home since right now i have several things to do like watering the plants and feeding the birds or they'll peck my head all night long, too bad i can't find enough wood to make a proper door" Gabriel finished his sentence and walked passed Richard towards his small house slowly sheathing his sword as he stopped and turned back to Richard "Also, you didn't quite answer me last time, what are you going to do to me after you capture me? Kill me? Send me for life sentence? Or is there anything else for a criminal like me" Gabriel asked Richard. " Well to be honest, I wouldn't know. I ain't no higher up you know? I'm merely a subordinate who knows some extra information, nothing more nothing less. So, do we get this show on the road or what?" Richard asked him, wanting to get this thing done and over with, and breaking the damn facade he's been maintaining for a while now. Gabriel sighed and unsheathed his sword "I guess I understand that, after all, you can't do what your Guild Master does" Gabriel began walking towards Richard with his sword's tip scratching the ground and hitting the small pebbles "Show what the first man I met after so long can do" Gabriel said pointing his sword at Richard. Suddenly, the entire area that Gabriel and Richard shattered as if it was glass! Richard had already been standing behind Gabriel, reminiscent of a traditional fight scene in anime where the good guy somehow apprehended the bad guy. Richard didn't like to pull such stupid gestures, but he found it fun to deceive his enemies." So, you like my trick? Also, I have no Guild Master. I'm a soldier, remember?" "Yeah yeah yeah, whatever you say" Gabriel said in a calm tone and turned to Richard who was behind him "You have more skill than I would've thought. I bet you're a high ranker in the army or something like that" Gabriel said immediately turning around with his sword swinging towards Richard's body. Once more, darkness appeared around his body as a separate apparition, blunting the blade's edge before Richard repelled it away from him. He then told him, " I might be, and it matters to you how?" Richard quickly retaliated with a swift crescent of energy from his sword whilst providing some distance away from Gabriel." Damn, you're an annoyance when you're up close." "That's hurtful to say" Gabriel said with a sarcastic tone "And it's better to know what rank may my enemy be so that I would know who I am fighting" Gabriel looked at Richard with his single eye showing a calm look "Though I should understand this victory won't be easy for me" Gabriel said not matching his situation with what his expression "Just out of curiousity, are we in a different area or is this merely an illusion?" Gabriel asked Richard. "Oh, the illusion was cut a while ago, can't you tell? Well, it seems without your Empty Eye, you seem to lack the perception you should have. In any case, we should continue, no?" Richard seemed to lack the drive to continue this battle. It was just that boring, this guy was far too predictable for his tastes, and was too dumb as well. "Yeah, I supposed you're right" Gabriel said, still sounding calm and collected, he pointed at Richard's pocket "You're lucky for not chewing that gum" Once Gabriel said these words, a red snake tattoo began to wrap around Richard's lower body from his pocket to his legs, restricting movements, revealing it to being a Bind Snake "That gum was normal gum but I added a little something to it, that being that restricting your movements snake, too bad it ain't long enough to restrict your whole body" What Gabriel said was true as the Bind Snake only restricted Richard's legs from his pocket "Would have worked better if it was your arms since you're a swordsman, am I right?" " You've got to be kidding me..." Richard didn't like this, to be honest, him and captivity did not get alone. Swiftly a small magical aura radiated around his sword, as he cut through the binding snake spell rather swiftly by expelling it primarily from his body, allowing for the tangible form to be manifested as he cut through it with notable ease." Phew, that thing went away. So, in any case. Shall I make the next move?" Richard didn't play nice, in only a matter of moments he trans-located himself from his position right in front of Gabriel, with his sword already on its path to thrust Gabriel's body in rapid succession if he wasn't careful. Gabriel, clenching his hand that grabbed his sword's hilt, quickly moved his sword to block Richard's strike, he blocked the blade's tip with his blade's base turned to it's side. Gabriel looked at Richard "Show me what kind of swordsman are you" With this, Gabriel jumped back and charged at Richard with chains apearing from his left, free, arm as he held his sword in his right hand. Richard, unusually, used his sword to parry the chain briefly before sheathing his sword again. Moderating his breathing with a brief meditation technique, drew the sword once more. It was drawn in a perfect semi-circular arc that bifurcated the chain with absolute ease. Once more, he utilized a number of fencing thrusts towards Gabriel before flipping into the air for a larger momentum. Gabriel sent one of his chains with a grappling hook at the end towards Richard which caught his leg, he then pulled Richard towards him with his sword ready to pierce him. Gabriel had also prepared other chains across his left arm just in case he would need them. Before anything more severe could happen, Richard had already begun to use the momentum from the chain to his advantage. Using a swift kick onto Gabriel's upper body, he utilized his blade and cut the remaining chains with a single broad slash that allowed him to be free of Gabriel's grasp. Within a few moments, Richard used a number of backflips, and gained his distance from Gabriel again." Phew! As I said before, you are a damned annoyance aren't you?" "You can call me an annoyance if you wish, when you can call me whatever you wish, however, you need to think ahead of battle whenever you can" Gabriel said poking his head with his index finger then pointing at Richard "If you get any closer to me than I won't guarantee it'll go so swiftly anymore" Gabriel said to him with a mocking tone. " Honestly? You're telling me to plan ahead? Do you realize that that specific thing you told me to do is what I do best?" Richard had liked to be provocative, and this was the best time to do so. Suddenly, the sun rose slightly as some trees were cut down because of all the shockwaves occurring from Gabriel and Richard's conflict. It was this light that illuminated a slight purple thread that surrounded the entirety of both Gabriel and Richard, encasing them, using trees to support them." What do you think I kept running around for?" Gabriel looked around with his grin widened, he then looked at Richard with his head tilted to the left "Is there a point for me to continue fighting then? After all, you planned things very swifly, very carefully, so I guess there's no point for me to fight someone as intellectual as you, right?" Despite Gabriel's words, his tone didn't match what he said, as it sounded like he was surrendering, his tone sounded like he was mocking Richard even more "Atleast answer me this, are we moving away from my dear home? Because I would like to say goodbye to it before leaving" Gabriel asked Richard with a serious tone, showing that he really did want to say farewell to his simple built house. " My my, you give up quite quickly don't you? Well, when I'm done with you, you'll probably be in jail, so I suggest you begin saying goodbye to your little precious house before it burns down, no?" Richard sarcastically motioned to him, while looking the other way because of his own moral issues when it came down to this stuff. "I just wish to know if we are still in an illusion, because saying goodbye to an illusion of my house would be heart breaking, like being rejected by a girl you admired your whole life" Gabriel said to Richard, sheathing his sword. " Oh, this isn't an illusion, don't worry about that. Everything you see here is quite real. In any case, shall we get this stupid thing done and over with? I have other, more pressing matters to attend to." Richard told him, with his sword before him and prepared to defeat Gabriel, then and there. Gabriel walked to his house and stopped right at the entrance looking at it from top to bottom, he then turned to Richard and sat down "My house isn't the only trap in here" As Gabriel said these words to Richard, the earth around them suddenly broke as many sharp spikes were fired into the sky from the green grass. The spikes flew high into the sky that they weren't seen anymore "They'll land like rain in a few minutes and maybe kill us both or injure, until then, we ain't leaving" Saying these words, Gabriel sent chain at small tree, pulling it which moved like a lever. Four walls, from all four directions, surrounded the area not allowing anyone to escape in a square shape. The walls weren't too high but were coated with spikes not allowing anyone to climb on it without being injured "I made this whole area booby trapped with my own skills" Gabriel said to Richard. Gabriel removed his bandages from his eye, activating his Empty Eye that would negate any magic. " Oh my! I'm such a scaredy-cat aren't I?" Richard began to frantically run about in a comical manner before smirking devilishly." Did you honestly think such an elaborate trap could work against me? I noticed from the start that half of your grass was covering something or another, and all the other things were part of something rather elaborate. Well, I'm perfectly content with just sitting down and sleeping you know, I have no problems with it at all." Richard actually did what he wanted to and made himself sit on the ground. He lied on the barren earth, helpless and without any guard." You gonna attack?" "Now now, attacking my enemy without being prepared for a counter attack isn't much of a fight, now is it?" Gabriel said still sitting down "If you wish to wait until the spikes come back down from the sky, then do as you wish, because either way, someone is gonna get stabbed by these spikes, like that rat in my house, the house itself, the earth, me, you and even that annoying squirrel in the backyard that doesn't exist" Gabriel said lying on the ground on his back facing the skies "Who'll move first I wonder. Just like a staring competition, none is allowed to move". "Oh, I can lie like this for eternity you know? I was literally born from the laziest person on earth, I think I can manage. I'm just wondering, will the fear kill you before it does me?" Richard asked him, lying there still and perfectly content with the moving clouds. "Oh, so you admit the fear will kill you evantually? Are you trembling behind that lazy face? Or are you just trying to hide the fact you want to escape already? Either way dying here will solve many of my problems in one second" Gabriel said to Richard looking up at the clouds as well waiting for the spikes to return. " Pffft, fear kills every being, it is one of the reasons why we live, because we fear the day our death comes. Don't you know this much? Honestly, people like you are the ones that I hate the most, such narrow mindedness irritates me." Richard continued lying on the ground, beginning to see small spike-like protrusions descending towards the ground." Well, here we go." "Yep, but before they reach us, answer me this, do you have a girlfriend?" Gabriel asked Richard "I am curious to know if you are going to leave someone behind after your death, if you don't mind" He said with an evil tone in his final words. " Well, sadly I have no girlfriend yet. Pretty dumb really, I sorta like this girl, but you know, she's outta my reach for the moment. Anyways, wanna begin this cascade of death?" Richard replied to his comment before he smiled in the face of his death. "Looks like we don't have anything in common, aside from both being swordsmen. So, you don't want to die just yet, do ya?" Gabriel asked Richard "If it's at the moment, then there is no way you would end it now, correct?" Gabriel said beginning to stand up and stretch as the spikes drew closer "Let's get this done already". " Yessir." Responding sarcastically, the soldier stood up. The spikes drew ever so close. Richard closed his eyes, it was remarkable for him to have to resort to using this specific technique, but he did so. Muttering, "Endless Conflict," his entire body radiated with a small aura, all his being was converging into a single point of existence, a point in which none had seen before." You're lucky you'll get to live for this instant you know..." His hair had taken a lighter tone, his eyes a deep blue, with a determination unseen beforehand." I will defeat you here, and survive for another day." Gabriel unsheathed his blade with his left eye still open "You do realize getting to close would negate your magic" Gabriel said to Richard holding his sword with one hand at that moment he charged at Richard with the spikes a few seconds away from stabbing them to death. The spikes rammed down upon the both of them, however Richard remained in-tact. The unique form of Endless Conflict allowed him to take upon virtually any attack and remain unharmed. These spikes were nothing, as he brushed them off with a graceful ease. As he drew his blade, it only took a single moment before both men clashed. Resolve was pitted in their eyes, and yet the eye that should have taken away Richard's form, had not. He taunted, "Why hasn't your Empty Eye worked? Is it too full?" The spikes that were supposed to stab Gabriel suddenly froze in mid air through using Slowing Magic. Gabriel had to close his left eye to keep his Empty Eye's negation so that he can use magic "This is quite unexpected. I thought there were some magics in this world my Empty Eye had no chance against, and it seems I actually found one" Gabriel said while both his and Richard's sword clashed and they were pushing each other back "Show me what this magic you're using now is capable of" Gabriel said taunting Richard, yet also wanting to see what is this magic that won't be negated by his eye truly is. "Ha, I must admit you are quite the curious man." Richard sarcastically spoke before moving around Gabriel in an unorthodox pattern." This is just some of my ability. Can you keep up with it?" Richard didn't want to play around for too long...it would be dangerous. Gabriel openned his left eye making the spikes fall again, on both him and Richard, though he quickly grabbed one spike in his free hand and cut the rest of the spikes that headed towards him with both the spike he held in his hand and his sword in the other while the other half of the spikes were falling on Richard. Richard immediately reacted, utilizing the motion from Gabriel's movement to split both of his arms before quickly crouching and using his single hand as support to flip over Gabriel as he sliced the air behind him to create a shockwave of considerable power to eliminate the spikes that were present. Right after this he stepped gently on the ground and spun whilst attempting to lunge his sword into Gabriel's shoulder. Gabriel continued going forward so that Richard's sword would exit his shoulder, he then turned around looking and Richard. Gabriel knew his chances of winning were small yet despite that he decided to continue fighting the genius standing before him, he raised his sword and said "If I am to lose, I would like to lose as a swordsman if you don't mind" Gabriel's request was simple, only to fight using sword and nothing else.